Playwright, film director and screenwriter
Kenneth Lonergan titled his 2001 off-Broadway hit "Lobby
Hero." But not far into the show, it becomes humorously
and ironically apparent that in this lobby there are no heroes,
there are four people who sometimes try to do what is right and
even less frequently succeed.
"Lobby Hero," with its almost total reliance on the
strong direction of sensitive and skilled actors can be quite
a challenge for an off-off-Broadway theater group, but fortunately,
the Gallery Players have proved themselves thoroughly up to the
task in their current production of the play, running through
March 7.
Any problems with this incarnation of "Lobby Hero"
should be placed squarely at the feet of Lonergan (who wrote
and directed the 2000 film "You Can Count on Me").
"Lobby Hero," directed by Tom Herman, features Tim
Peper as Jeff, the luckless and clueless night watchman for a
Manhattan high-rise; Postell Pringle as William, his disciplined
and upright supervisor; Steve Hamm as Bill, the arrogant, macho
police officer; and Elaine O’Brien as Dawn, Bill’s rookie partner.
These two pairs of uniformed workers mirror each other in several
ways; both comprise a superior and a subordinate, and both relationships
are cemented by trust and the ability of the more experienced
partners to mentor and protect their protegees. But the similarities
end there.
William, a young black man from a poor family, who has heroically
clawed his way up the ranks, is honestly and altruistically trying
to help Jeff, a young white man from a relatively privileged
family, who has managed to slide almost all the way to the bottom.
Bill, on the other hand, regards Dawn as one more sexual conquest.
(He already has a lady friend in the high-rise and a wife at
home.) When Dawn balks at being his patsy and holding down the
fort in the lobby during his trysts upstairs, Bill threatens
to withdraw his support for her in a police brutality suit. As
if that weren’t enough to prove who’s the boss, he insists that
she continue as his partner in bed, too.
Jeff, in many ways, also sees Dawn as a sexual object. But this
is mitigated by a genuine concern for her as a real person.
But if "Lobby Hero" is all about these sets of characters,
it is also about character. And that’s what’s put to the test
when William’s brother is implicated in a murder-rape, and he
must decide whether or not to lie and provide his brother with
the alibi that will keep him out of jail.
While he is deciding, William tells Jeff about his predicament,
thus making him an accessory after the fact. Unlike the typical
police procedural, "Lobby Hero" ignores the legal issues
involved in the situation and concentrates solely on the moral
implications.
When "Lobby Hero" premiered at Playwrights Horizons,
Time Out New York called it the "best drama," "best
comedy," "best character study," and "best
issue play" of the year. Much of this laudatory language
is certainly merited. But what the Time Out reviewer kindly omitted
was what the play doesn’t have – action and resolution.
In "Lobby Hero," what the audience sees is the actors’
reactions to the events, never the events themselves. The crimes
supposedly committed by William’s brother, Bill’s various adulterous
relationships, and Dawn’s impulsive use of her nightstick all
happen off-stage. On-stage we only see banter, jokes, indecision
and prevarication. Undoubtedly Lonergan is a master at crafting
compelling dialogue. But after a while, that’s not quite enough.
Even more troublesome, at the end of the play no one seems to
have changed his situation or his mind.
Dawn apologizes for the trouble she has caused Jeff, but it’s
not apparent that she understands, or will not repeat, the mistakes
she’s made both professionally and privately.
Jeff has just put a down payment on an apartment so he can get
out of his brother’s house, but it’s not clear that without the
benevolence of a boss like William he will be able to keep a
job so he can pay the rent.
Bill remains angry and unrepentant. And William is still what
he was in the beginning – disciplined and upright.
With all that said, "Lobby Hero" is worth a trip to
the Gallery Players if only to see the brilliant way Peper portrays
the weak and vacillating Jeff – down to the tiniest tic, the
smallest shrug, the wimpiest whisper. Pringle, Hamm and O’Brien
also deliver impressive performances in less demanding roles.
(Peper is never off-stage and only occasionally not the focus
of the drama.)
And then, of course, there’s the amazing set design of Mark T.
Simpson, who has created a lobby that so perfectly duplicates
a big apartment building – from the papered walls to the tiled
floors – that it’s easy to forget this is really a theater.
"Lobby Hero," like the people it portrays, is not perfect.
Yet there is much in this production to recommend. And if the
play doesn’t provide pat answers, at least it asks the right
questions.
The Gallery Players production of "Lobby
Hero" runs through March 7, Thursdays through Saturdays
at 8 pm and Sundays at 3 pm. Tickets are $15, $12 seniors and
students. The Gallery Players are located at 199 14th St., between
Fourth and Fifth avenues in Park Slope. For reservations, call
(718) 595-0547.
